You've probably heard that reduction of estrogen may cause menstrual irregularities, hot flashes and insomnia. Or maybe you know that insufficient production of thyroid hormones leads to brain fog, drowsiness and constipation.

You may feel really sad after trying numerous fad diets, exercise programs, massages and other weight-loss methods without any significant effect. Dear, the problem may be in your hormones!

Specialists say that imbalance in these chemicals may be responsible for your unwanted weight gain:

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#1. Resistance to insulin – insulin is a hormones, secreted by your pancreas. It helps sugar from bloodstream get into the body cells and store excessive glucose in the liver in the form of glycogen. It’s not uncommon that cells lose sensitivity to insulin, leaving sugar from foods circulating in the blood flow. As a result, the pancreas tries to overcome resistance, synthesizing more insulin. Increased amount of insulin is commonly associated with obesity.

#2. High cortisol – your adrenal glands release this hormone in stressful situations in order to activate all body's defensive mechanisms. While many of us distaste foods during stress, chronic exposure to negative emotions may keep your cortisol levels constantly elevated. This may lead to food cravings and weight gain.

#3. Drop of estrogen – female reproductive hormone, normally released by your ovaries, can not only control your menstrual cycle and ability to conceive, but also regulate bone density and fat accumulation. That's why women in menopause, who have low estrogen levels, often build up fat on the waistline. The same problem may appear in breastfeeding women, those who workout too hard or follow fad diets.

#4. Excessive testosterone – you may be surprised that it's normal for female organism to produce certain amount of male hormone testosterone. But sometimes problems may occur, leading to excessive secretion of androgens. This often results in polycystic ovary syndrome, which may affect your menstrual cycle, fertility, weight and skin appearance.

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#5. Inadequate thyroid hormone– thyroid gland creates hormones thyroxine and triiodothyronine, which keep under the control body temperature, metabolic rate and mental health. So, if levels of thyroid hormones get decreased, you may gain weight without changing diet and physical activity.

#7. Imbalance of ghrelin – when your stomach stays empty for several hours, it starts to produce ghrelin in order to signal your brain that it's time to have a meal. When you eat, generation of this hormone normally switches off. But this mechanism fails in those, who carry too much excessive weight and in those, who follow too strict diet. Abnormal production of ghrelin was found to cause overeating and obesity.

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#8. Problems with peptide YY – special cells in your gut make this hormone to limit food consumption and increase satiety. But people, who take processed foods regularly or live with elevated blood sugar levels, often have too low amount of peptide YY. This may boost appetite and cause significant weight gain.

The BetterMe Team wants you and those close to you to live a healthy, happy life! Your health is a valuable thing; look after your body and your mind so that you can live your life to the fullest – Remember you only get one!

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This article is solely for informational purposes and is not intended to provide medical advice. BetterMe doesn’t take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, exercise, diet, application of medication or any similar action which results from reading or following the information contained in this article. Before undertaking any course of treatment please consult with your physician or other health care provider.